Ashes to Ashes
I watch the hollowed out building burn.
Sections of roof collapse into the flames.
Smoke occludes the sky like a prayer.
I am complicit.
Smoke and ash smudge my hands and face,
a negligent guilt through willful ignorance.
I am at a loss: I call, I write, I vote;
I make signs for marches.
The flames burn hotter.
They buy more gasoline and matches,
then dance unimpeded down the road
to sing gleefully around the next bonfire.
(April 15, 2025)
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